Hacker group Anonymous gives Westboro Baptist Church an ultimatum: "Cease & desist your protest campaign " or we will "close your public Web sites"

That is absolutely hysterical.

After reading the article about and threat by Anonymous, I read a few responses and the best one was:

Ha ha ha. Anonymous says WBC has “crossed the line which separates Freedom of Speech from deliberately utilizing the same tactics …” SO! Anonymous admits there is a line where freedom of speech ends. And who says where that line is drawn? Anonymous of course! What hypocrites.

While WBC participates in activities that are personally offensive and apparently broadly offensive to others, what this group is threatening to do (and has done in the past) is more offensive. They are going to destroy the property of another if that other does not quit exercising its rights. Great, so when do they get to come over to SI and decide that if they don’t like what SI has to say they are going to destroy this property as well?

This is an age old hoodlum tactic, one of intimidation, threat, abuse, and so on. Shame on this group. They are the offensive and disgusting ones in this case.

[Alex Guggenheim] Great, so when do they get to come over to SI and decide that if they don’t like what SI has to say they are going to destroy this property as well?

This is an age old hoodlum tactic, one of intimidation, threat, abuse, and so on. Shame on this group. They are the offensive and disgusting ones in this case.

My sentiments exactly!

And just like that, we have ourselves a game, boys and girls!

Megan Phelps calls out Anonymous: http://twitter.com/#!/meganphelps/status/39069198961487872

The Westies response: http://twitpic.com/41oqa0

And right now Westboro’s website appears to be undergoing a DDOS attack. Looks like Anonymous brought it, per Megan’s request.

[Alex Guggenheim] They are the offensive and disgusting ones in this case.

Totally agree, except for this last line. They are simply the more offensive and disgusting ones in this case.

westboro baptist church replies
http://imgur.com/nh1kR
(mirror of http://www.godhatesfags.com/fliers/20110219_Open-Letter-to-Anonymous.pdf which may not stay available)

Open Letter from Westboro Baptist Servants of God to Anonymous Coward Crybaby “Hackers”: BRING IT! …The only reason the internet exists is for Westboro Baptist Church to tell this nation & this world that your destruction draws nigh.

That Anonymous is not a centralized or even organized group is both a strength and a weakness. It’s a strength in that they can do whatever they want and the risks of being discovered and disbanded are pretty small. But on the other hand, sine there is no public leadership, anyone can take the mantle of leadership for a few minutes and no one is any the wiser. It’s worth noting that another note went up on anonnews yesterday instructing folks on how to troll WBC if they wanted but disavowing any organized effort. From what I’m seeing Anonymous isn’t officially calling for a raid - they think WBC are nothing more than glorified trolls, much like Anonymous’ membership - but they’re happy to cause a little grief.

When religion and technology collide…

Does anyone else find the irony of a group that signs itself as “Legion… for we are many” (Luke 8:30), but yet tells WBC that they are devoid of Christ-likeness.

Remember that we’re about to get one of the biggest 1st Amendment cases in years regarding WBC. Arguments were heard in October: Snyder v. Phelps.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2024062,00.html

For the tl;dr crowd, Ars Technica wrote up http://bit.ly/ia1dPQ] a very good summary of what’s going on with a little commentary to boot.

So whoever made that threat wasn’t apparently Anonymous, but someone from Westboro kept antagonizing Anonymous, so now they HAVE stepped in and taken the website down.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/anonymous-seizes-westboro-baptis…

As of now, the website is down/unresponsive - DDOS attack, maybe.

Over 9000 sins, the internet is serious business…lol, this guy knows his memes. :D Never heard Shirley before…man, talk about living with a contentious woman. Give me the Chinese Water Torture over her any day.

Also: owned. Make no mistake - these guys are good at what they do.